Mike Pompeo, on Thursday, accused China of stealing America's research on COVID-19.

"The US condemns attempts by cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated with People's Republic of China (PRC) to steal US intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research. The United States calls on China to cease this malicious activity," US Secretary of State said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/fbi-arrests-nasa-researcher-for-not-disclosing-ties-with-china-298579">Also watch:&nbsp;FBI arrests NASA researcher for not 'disclosing' ties with China&nbsp;</a>

The allegations on China of stealing intellectual property and data on COVID-19 came a day after the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security announced that there is a chance that hackers might be targeting the research being conducted by few organisations.

They also claimed that these hackers might have a direct or indirect link to the&nbsp;Chinese government.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-covid-19-crisis-trump-threatens-to-cut-off-whole-relationship-with-china-298711">Also read:&nbsp;Amid COVID-19 crisis, Trump threatens to 'cut off whole relationship with China'</a>

Mike Pompeo has alleged that "China continues to silence scientists, journalists, and citizens, and to spread disinformation, which has exacerbated the dangers of this health crisis." On the other hand, he has also claimed that the US&nbsp;and its allies and partners are coordinating a collective, transparent response to save lives.

This allegation was challenged by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who&nbsp;said that the US is simply shifting blame on China just to cover up their poor way of handling the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

This is not the first time the US has accused China for coronavirus. Earlier, too, US President Donald Trump had accused China of spreading the coronavirus onto the world and had also been criticized for calling it the "Wuhan virus".&nbsp;

China and the US have been in constant verbal war for few months now. Trump had also, recently, threatened to cut all relationship ties with China over the coronavirus.

Mike Pompeo, on Thursday, accused China of stealing America's research on COVID-19. "The US condemns attempts by cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated with People's Republic of China (PRC) to steal US intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research.

Mike Pompeo, on Thursday, accused China of stealing America's research on COVID-19. "The US condemns attempts by cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated with People's Republic of China (PRC) to steal US intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research. The United States calls on China to cease this malicious activity," US Secretary of State said in a statement. Also watch: FBI arrests NASA researcher for not 'disclosing' ties with China The allegations on China of stealing intellectual property and data on COVID-19 came a day after the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security announced that there is a chance that hackers might be targeting the research being conducted by few organisations. They also claimed that these hackers might have a direct or indirect link to the Chinese government. Also read: Amid COVID-19 crisis, Trump threatens to 'cut off whole relationship with China' Mike Pompeo has alleged that "China continues to silence scientists, journalists, and citizens, and to spread disinformation, which has exacerbated the dangers of this health crisis." On the other hand, he has also claimed that the US and its allies and partners are coordinating a collective, transparent response to save lives. This allegation was challenged by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who said that the US is simply shifting blame on China just to cover up their poor way of handling the coronavirus pandemic. This is not the first time the US has accused China for coronavirus. Earlier, too, US President Donald Trump had accused China of spreading the coronavirus onto the world and had also been criticized for calling it the "Wuhan virus". China and the US have been in constant verbal war for few months now. Trump had also, recently, threatened to cut all relationship ties with China over the coronavirus.

Mike Pompeo accuses China of stealing American research on COVID-19

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed the name of a Saudi diplomat who is suspected of directing support to two al-Qaeda hijackers in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

However,&nbsp;Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah's name was disclosed by mistake.

In a response to a lawsuit by families of 9/11 victims, an FBI official accidentally revealed the name of the Saudi official in a declaration by him. The lawsuit was by the families of the victims, who have accused Saudi Arabia's government of involvement in the attacks.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-to-enforce-24-hour-curfew-during-the-five-day-eid-al-fitr-holiday-298476">Also read:&nbsp;Saudi Arabia to enforce 24-hour curfew during the five-day Eid al-Fitr holiday</a>

The accidental revelation&nbsp;was spotted by&nbsp;Michael Isikoff, the chief investigative journalist at Yahoo News.

"When I noticed that the declaration included this information, I contacted the FBI for comment. Because I knew that the justice department and the Trump administration had been going to extraordinary length to keep all of this under wraps," he said.

"In fact, both Attorney General William Barr and the Acting Director of the National Intelligence Richard Grennell had filed motions with the court saying that any information relating to the Saudi embassy official and all internal FBI documents about this matter were so sensitive; they were state secrets, that means if revealed they could cause damage to the national security," he added.

The declaration was made by&nbsp;Jill Sanborn, the assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division.

When requested to depose the person under oath, Sanborn's declaration said that it involved "any and all records referring to or relating to Jarrah". This was the point where it was accidentally revealed that the "third person" was&nbsp;Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah.

However, all other background and investigative reports conducted by the FBI remain sealed.

This accidental slip-up has, however, revived the questions about Saudi government's involvement in the attacks. "This shows there is a complete government cover-up of the Saudi involvement," Brett Eagleson, a spokesman for the families, told Yahoo news. "This is a giant screw-up."

Officials notified the court and withdrew the FBI's declaration from the public docket. Following that, the docket now reads:&nbsp; "The document was incorrectly filed in this case."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed the name of a Saudi diplomat who is suspected of directing support to two al-Qaeda hijackers in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed the name of a Saudi diplomat who is suspected of directing support to two al-Qaeda hijackers in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. However, Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah's name was disclosed by mistake. In a response to a lawsuit by families of 9/11 victims, an FBI official accidentally revealed the name of the Saudi official in a declaration by him. The lawsuit was by the families of the victims, who have accused Saudi Arabia's government of involvement in the attacks. Also read: Saudi Arabia to enforce 24-hour curfew during the five-day Eid al-Fitr holiday The accidental revelation was spotted by Michael Isikoff, the chief investigative journalist at Yahoo News. "When I noticed that the declaration included this information, I contacted the FBI for comment. Because I knew that the justice department and the Trump administration had been going to extraordinary length to keep all of this under wraps," he said. "In fact, both Attorney General William Barr and the Acting Director of the National Intelligence Richard Grennell had filed motions with the court saying that any information relating to the Saudi embassy official and all internal FBI documents about this matter were so sensitive; they were state secrets, that means if revealed they could cause damage to the national security," he added. The declaration was made by Jill Sanborn, the assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division. When requested to depose the person under oath, Sanborn's declaration said that it involved "any and all records referring to or relating to Jarrah". This was the point where it was accidentally revealed that the "third person" was Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah. However, all other background and investigative reports conducted by the FBI remain sealed. This accidental slip-up has, however, revived the questions about Saudi government's involvement in the attacks. "This shows there is a complete government cover-up of the Saudi involvement," Brett Eagleson, a spokesman for the families, told Yahoo news. "This is a giant screw-up." Officials notified the court and withdrew the FBI's declaration from the public docket. Following that, the docket now reads: "The document was incorrectly filed in this case."

FBI accidentally reveals Saudi official link to 9/11 attacks

United States of America has been one of the worst-hit countries by coronavirus in the world. The number of cases have been rising rapidly, and so has the death toll. Despite the rapid increase in number of infections, Americans have not been in favour of lockdown.&nbsp;

Canada, on the other hand, has had a strict lockdown in place but has not been able to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Keeping this in mind, both countries are now deciding to extend the travel ban till June 21.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-zoo-is-sending-two-pandas-back-to-china-because-it-cant-get-enough-bamboo-to-feed-them-298500">Also read:&nbsp;Canada zoo is sending two pandas back to China because it can't get enough bamboo to feed them</a>

"It's too early to lift the restrictions, so we're working toward an extension," said one Canadian government source to a media house.

Earlier, on April 18, Canada and the US had agreed to extend border restrictions until May 21. Considering the rise in number of cases, Canada is now hoping to extend the travel ban&nbsp;for another month.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/justin-trudeau-starts-canadahomeworkhelp-asks-kids-to-reach-out-to-him-298079">Also read:&nbsp;Justin Trudeau starts #CanadaHomeworkHelp; asks kids to reach out to him</a>

The restriction will be in place only for non-essential travel plans. All trade travels will be allowed across the border as US takes 75% of all Canadian good exports.&nbsp;

The chief Canadian public health officer, on Tuesday, talked to the media about US being a risk for Canadians, if the travel ban is lifted.

The same travel ban will be proposed for US-Mexico border too.&nbsp;

United States of America has been one of the worst-hit countries by coronavirus in the world. The number of cases have been rising rapidly, and so has the death toll.

United States of America has been one of the worst-hit countries by coronavirus in the world. The number of cases have been rising rapidly, and so has the death toll. Despite the rapid increase in number of infections, Americans have not been in favour of lockdown. Canada, on the other hand, has had a strict lockdown in place but has not been able to contain the spread of coronavirus. Keeping this in mind, both countries are now deciding to extend the travel ban till June 21. Also read: Canada zoo is sending two pandas back to China because it can't get enough bamboo to feed them "It's too early to lift the restrictions, so we're working toward an extension," said one Canadian government source to a media house. Earlier, on April 18, Canada and the US had agreed to extend border restrictions until May 21. Considering the rise in number of cases, Canada is now hoping to extend the travel ban for another month. Also read: Justin Trudeau starts #CanadaHomeworkHelp; asks kids to reach out to him The restriction will be in place only for non-essential travel plans. All trade travels will be allowed across the border as US takes 75% of all Canadian good exports. The chief Canadian public health officer, on Tuesday, talked to the media about US being a risk for Canadians, if the travel ban is lifted. The same travel ban will be proposed for US-Mexico border too.

Canada-US to extend travel ban till June 21

From a verbal threat to an official warning, the US has alleged China of launching cyber attacks to steal its Covid-19 vaccine research.

Is China stealing US vaccine research?

One thing is certain, the recent US military pullback from Saudi Arabia will fuel a brewing arms race in the Middle East at a time when the region, struggling with the public health and devastating economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, can least afford it. It’s a financially costly race that neither Saudi Arabia nor Iran can really afford in an era of economic meltdown.

Saudi Arabia is likely to see the withdrawal, despite a seemingly reassuring phone call between Saudi King Salman and President Donald Trump, as further evidence that it cannot fully rely, for its defence, on the United States.

The drawdown involves two US Patriot anti-missile systems that were sent to the kingdom last year to bolster its defences in the wake of alleged Iranian watershed attacks on Saudi oil facilities and oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

The withdrawal came on the heels of the successful launch of Iran’s first military reconnaissance satellite that not only catapulted the Islamic Republic into an elite group of about a dozen countries capable of orbital launches but also signalled its capabilities despite crippling US economic sanctions and a public healthcare crisis.

The satellite “Will play a role in identification missions and in providing strategic assistance to the armed forces in identification, communication, and navigation missions. We must use these satellites and provide services to the armed forces,” said Iranian General Ali Jafarabadi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ space division.

Iran hawks in the United States and Israel worry that the satellite will enhance the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile capability, a pillar of its defence strategy, as well as the ability of Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian Shiite militia in Lebanon, to convert its rocket and GPS-guided weapons stockpile into smart munitions.

The Trump administration’s drawdown decision was announced amid estimates that Iran’s gradual backing away from a 2015 international agreement – that curbed its nuclear program in response to a US withdrawal from the accord in 2018, had cut in half the time it would need to produce enough weapons-grade fuel to build a nuclear weapon.

The risk of an arms race was explicit in Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s warning at the time that Trump was gearing up to withdraw from the nuclear agreement that “Without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.”

A report last week by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggested that talks with the kingdom on US help to create a Saudi civil nuclear program had stalled because of Saudi reluctance to agree to enrichment and reprocessing restrictions and signing of an Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which would allow IAEA to obtain expanded information about Saudi nuclear activities and grant it access to facilities.

The development of the local defence industry is a pillar of Prince Mohammed’s troubled Vision 2030 plan designed to streamline and diversify the Saudi economy that has been thrown into doubt by the global economic depression. The kingdom this week tripled sales taxes from five to 15 per cent and suspended cost-of-living allowances for government employees to cope with a fiscal crunch.

Anthony Cordesman, a Washington-based Gulf military analyst, warned that the Saudi plan to build a defence industry was not the best way to diversify the kingdom’s economy even if it would create some jobs and boost its technology sector.

There is “Virtually no way to waste money more effectively than trying to create an effective technology base or fund a weapons assembly effort in an area of industry and technology which is so demanding, offers so few real-world benefits in job creation, and where there often is so little ability to use the technology needed for specific weapons or purposes – particularly civil ones,” Cordesman said.

“Such an effort would involve other problems— the domestic needs for such weapons is limited and Saudi Arabia would likely be unable to compete in selling these weapons on the international market,” Cordesman went on to say.

Iran’s satellite launch is the latest building block in an arms race that Iran, like the UAE, is ironically better placed than Saudi Arabia to compete in given its already existing defence industry and more diversified industrial base.

Ballistic missiles and drones are other building blocks.

Satellite images revealed last year that Saudi Arabia had a facility deep in the Saudi desert designed to test and possibly manufacture ballistic missiles that potentially would be capable of delivering nuclear warheads to targets thousands of kilometres from their launch point. The facility is believed to be intended to counter Iran’s far advanced ballistic missile program.

The kingdom is similarly set to begin next year producing military drones that would match Iran’s bomb-carrying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that reportedly have a range of 1,500 kilometres.

China agreed in 2017 to build a facility in Saudi Arabia to produce UAVs, the People’s Republic’s first overseas military manufacturing site.

“The Middle East has become a drone warfare theatre,” said Alessandro Arduino, a drone warfare researcher at Singapore’s Middle East Institute. “Their deployment has ushered in a new era of post-coronavirus deterrence and turned conventional military doctrine on its head. From Yemen to Libya and Syria, warring parties resist calls for a truce, emboldened by the role of armed UAVs.”

The reality on the ground, however, is neither of these countries can presently afford the extraordinary financial and technological cost of such militaristic endeavours when their economies are battered by a far-reaching global depression, a collapse of oil prices, and a health pandemic. Iran, moreover, is struggling to grope with US sanctions while Saudi Arabia faces painful fiscal problems and structural reforms.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(First Published on InsideArabia) 
&nbsp;

One thing is certain, the recent US military pullback from Saudi Arabia will fuel a brewing arms race in the Middle East at a time when the region, struggling with the public health and devastating economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, can least afford it.

One thing is certain, the recent US military pullback from Saudi Arabia will fuel a brewing arms race in the Middle East at a time when the region, struggling with the public health and devastating economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, can least afford it. It’s a financially costly race that neither Saudi Arabia nor Iran can really afford in an era of economic meltdown. Saudi Arabia is likely to see the withdrawal, despite a seemingly reassuring phone call between Saudi King Salman and President Donald Trump, as further evidence that it cannot fully rely, for its defence, on the United States. The drawdown involves two US Patriot anti-missile systems that were sent to the kingdom last year to bolster its defences in the wake of alleged Iranian watershed attacks on Saudi oil facilities and oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The withdrawal came on the heels of the successful launch of Iran’s first military reconnaissance satellite that not only catapulted the Islamic Republic into an elite group of about a dozen countries capable of orbital launches but also signalled its capabilities despite crippling US economic sanctions and a public healthcare crisis. The satellite “Will play a role in identification missions and in providing strategic assistance to the armed forces in identification, communication, and navigation missions. We must use these satellites and provide services to the armed forces,” said Iranian General Ali Jafarabadi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ space division. Iran hawks in the United States and Israel worry that the satellite will enhance the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile capability, a pillar of its defence strategy, as well as the ability of Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian Shiite militia in Lebanon, to convert its rocket and GPS-guided weapons stockpile into smart munitions. The Trump administration’s drawdown decision was announced amid estimates that Iran’s gradual backing away from a 2015 international agreement – that curbed its nuclear program in response to a US withdrawal from the accord in 2018, had cut in half the time it would need to produce enough weapons-grade fuel to build a nuclear weapon. The risk of an arms race was explicit in Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s warning at the time that Trump was gearing up to withdraw from the nuclear agreement that “Without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.” A report last week by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggested that talks with the kingdom on US help to create a Saudi civil nuclear program had stalled because of Saudi reluctance to agree to enrichment and reprocessing restrictions and signing of an Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which would allow IAEA to obtain expanded information about Saudi nuclear activities and grant it access to facilities. The development of the local defence industry is a pillar of Prince Mohammed’s troubled Vision 2030 plan designed to streamline and diversify the Saudi economy that has been thrown into doubt by the global economic depression. The kingdom this week tripled sales taxes from five to 15 per cent and suspended cost-of-living allowances for government employees to cope with a fiscal crunch. Anthony Cordesman, a Washington-based Gulf military analyst, warned that the Saudi plan to build a defence industry was not the best way to diversify the kingdom’s economy even if it would create some jobs and boost its technology sector. There is “Virtually no way to waste money more effectively than trying to create an effective technology base or fund a weapons assembly effort in an area of industry and technology which is so demanding, offers so few real-world benefits in job creation, and where there often is so little ability to use the technology needed for specific weapons or purposes – particularly civil ones,” Cordesman said. “Such an effort would involve other problems— the domestic needs for such weapons is limited and Saudi Arabia would likely be unable to compete in selling these weapons on the international market,” Cordesman went on to say. Iran’s satellite launch is the latest building block in an arms race that Iran, like the UAE, is ironically better placed than Saudi Arabia to compete in given its already existing defence industry and more diversified industrial base. Ballistic missiles and drones are other building blocks. Satellite images revealed last year that Saudi Arabia had a facility deep in the Saudi desert designed to test and possibly manufacture ballistic missiles that potentially would be capable of delivering nuclear warheads to targets thousands of kilometres from their launch point. The facility is believed to be intended to counter Iran’s far advanced ballistic missile program. The kingdom is similarly set to begin next year producing military drones that would match Iran’s bomb-carrying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that reportedly have a range of 1,500 kilometres. China agreed in 2017 to build a facility in Saudi Arabia to produce UAVs, the People’s Republic’s first overseas military manufacturing site. “The Middle East has become a drone warfare theatre,” said Alessandro Arduino, a drone warfare researcher at Singapore’s Middle East Institute. “Their deployment has ushered in a new era of post-coronavirus deterrence and turned conventional military doctrine on its head. From Yemen to Libya and Syria, warring parties resist calls for a truce, emboldened by the role of armed UAVs.” The reality on the ground, however, is neither of these countries can presently afford the extraordinary financial and technological cost of such militaristic endeavours when their economies are battered by a far-reaching global depression, a collapse of oil prices, and a health pandemic. Iran, moreover, is struggling to grope with US sanctions while Saudi Arabia faces painful fiscal problems and structural reforms. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (First Published on InsideArabia)

US military drawdown in Saudi Arabia threatens to fuel arms race

The biggest job loss America history has revealed a deep gender bias, according a recent jobs report. In the United States, 20.5 million jobs were wiped out in April with unemployment rising to 14.7 per cent, the highest since the Great Depression. As per the report, it appears that women, especially single moms have been hit harder by the economic downturn.

US: Unemployment among women 3 points higher than men

America in its biggest job loss in history as over 20 Million jobs being hit. Watch this video to get more details.

America in its biggest job loss in history as over 20 Million jobs being hit

As the world fights the Coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration is busy drafting a pact to 'mine the moon'. The White House is working on a legal blueprint to dig on the moon. WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Is the US trying to colonize the moon?

Did the United States develop a plan to capture the Venezuelan President? Nicolas Maduro is now moving the ICJ against Donald Trump - after the capture of an alleged US mercenary. Watch WION's ground report from Venezuela.

Nicolas Maduro blames Donald Trump for incursion | WION Ground Report

Did the United States develop a plan to capture the Venezuelan President? Nicolas Maduro is now moving the ICJ against Donald Trump - after the capture of an alleged US mercenary. WION's Palki Sharma gets the story.

Gravitas: Did the U.S. plan a coup in Venezuela?

Experts in the US say remdesivir is effective in stopping the virus. But, lawmakers want to know how Gilead will price the drug. Will remdesivir be a 'cure' that no one can afford? WION's Palki Sharma brings you an assessment.

Gravitas: Will remdesivir be a 'cure' that no one can afford?

Air India has announced that it will resume bookings for evacuation flights for people who wish to travel to London, Singapore and select destinations in the US.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyAI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyAI</a> : Important Update for passengers regarding evacuation flights from India. Please visit <a href="https://t.co/FOAixDQ0Qo">https://t.co/FOAixDQ0Qo</a> for details. <a href="https://t.co/O23kcKLVlU">pic.twitter.com/O23kcKLVlU</a>
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The flights will operate from May 08 to May 14. These flights are specifically for people who are stranded and wish to be evacuated. These outgoing flights will have certain rules in place.

Air India will only be allowing the eligible passengers to board the flight. The eligibility will depend on the nationality status with respect to the destination countries, i.e., the passenger should either hold a green card/permanent residency or a one-year valid visa.

The passengers will have to go through thermal screening, compulsorily wear face masks and follow all protocols of social distancing at all times.

The entire cost of the travel will be borne by the passenger. In addition to this, if the passenger is quarantined or deported, he/she will have to bear the entire cost for that too.

The bookings can be made through Air India's official website.

Air India has announced that it will resume bookings for evacuation flights for people who wish to travel to London, Singapore and select destinations in the US.

Air India has announced that it will resume bookings for evacuation flights for people who wish to travel to London, Singapore and select destinations in the US. #FlyAI : Important Update for passengers regarding evacuation flights from India. Please visit https://t.co/FOAixDQ0Qo for details. pic.twitter.com/O23kcKLVlU — Air India (@airindiain) May 6, 2020 × The flights will operate from May 08 to May 14. These flights are specifically for people who are stranded and wish to be evacuated. These outgoing flights will have certain rules in place. Air India will only be allowing the eligible passengers to board the flight. The eligibility will depend on the nationality status with respect to the destination countries, i.e., the passenger should either hold a green card/permanent residency or a one-year valid visa. The passengers will have to go through thermal screening, compulsorily wear face masks and follow all protocols of social distancing at all times. The entire cost of the travel will be borne by the passenger. In addition to this, if the passenger is quarantined or deported, he/she will have to bear the entire cost for that too. The bookings can be made through Air India's official website.

Air India starts bookings for London, Singapore and the US

US President Donald Trump has now targetted to reopen US economy as soon as possible even as the coronavirus death toll in the country is rising. Watch report.

Trump plans to reopen the economy ASAP: Coronavirus death toll nears 62,000

In the United States, nearly 60,000 deaths and a million confirmed cases of coronavirus are rising. The people are now questioning Donald Trump's response to the crisis. Watch report.

Testing times for Trump administration: Do Americans trust their President?

Days after the coronavirus hit the country hard the US economy is all set to reopen. US President Donald Trump said that the country all set to start its economy and will show a rapid recovery.

US President predicts rapid economic recovery for US Economy

New York remains the worst affected state in the US with nearly 270000 cases of coronavirus so far but a new antibody study by the state shows that people infected could be far more. Watch report.

Nearly 3,176 deaths in last 24-hours | United States | Coronavirus Pandemic

New antibody study in New York: Nearly 14% tests positive for antibodies

US President Donald Trump is moving ahead with his plan to partially reopen the American economy. The public opinion is divided on the President's decision with many experts saying that full-scale recovery is not possible without universal testing.

Donald Trump: 20 states to restart economy | Coronavirus Pandemic

The Indian government has introduced new rules to keep investments from China in check. All investment from China will now be scrutinised by the government. WION's Palki tells you more about India's firewall to protect Indian businesses.

Gravitas: India builds firewall to keep Chinese investments in check

Governors in U.S. states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders.

New York continued to see hospitalizations decline to 16,000 from a high of 18,000, and the number of patients being kept alive by ventilators also fell. There were 507 new deaths, down from a high of more than 700 a day.

"If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point and all indications at this point are that we are on a descent. Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do," Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a daily briefing.

Cuomo, along with other governors, are clamoring for more testing.

"The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing, they are doing some things with respect to private labs," said Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland during a CNN interview. "But to try to push this off, to say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we aren't doing our jobs, is just absolutely false."

Democratic Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN that claims by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were "just delusional."

The region of Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. is still seeing increasing cases even as the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, New York, has started to see declines. Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths.

Several states, including Ohio, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by May 1 or even sooner, but appeared to be staying cautious.

Trump's guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions. Yet the Republican president appeared to encourage protesters who want the measures removed sooner with a series of Twitter posts on Friday calling for them to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, all run by Democratic governors.

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington redoubled his attacks on Trump's call to "liberate" states, saying the president was encouraging people to violate state laws on self-isolating.

"These orders actually are the law of these states," he said. "To have an American president encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing."

The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infections and over 39,600 deaths.

The governors of Michigan and Ohio on Sunday said they could double or triple their testing capacity if the federal government helped them acquire more swaps and reagents, chemicals needed as part of the testing process.

Demonstrations to demand an end to stay-at-home measures that have pummelled the U.S. economy have erupted in a few spots in Texas, Wisconsin and the capitols of Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia. More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month.

Trump had touted a thriving economy as the best case for his re-election in November.

On Saturday, several dozen protesters gathered in the Texas capital of Austin chanting "USA! USA!" and "Let us work!"

In Brookfield, Wisconsin, hundreds of demonstrators cheered as they lined a main road and waved American flags to protest at the extension of that state's "safer at home" order.

The demonstrators mostly flouted the social-distancing rules and did not wear the face masks recommended by public health officials.

U.S. lawmakers are very close to an agreement on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Sunday, congressional and Trump administration officials said.

An agreement would end a stalemate that has lasted more than a week over Trump's request to add $250 billion to a small-business loan program. Congress established the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money.

Governors in U.S. states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders.

Governors in U.S. states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus sparred with President Donald Trump over his claims they have enough tests and should quickly reopen their economies as more protests are planned over the extension of stay-at-home orders. New York continued to see hospitalizations decline to 16,000 from a high of 18,000, and the number of patients being kept alive by ventilators also fell. There were 507 new deaths, down from a high of more than 700 a day. "If the data holds and if this trend holds, we are past the high point and all indications at this point are that we are on a descent. Whether or not the descent continues depends on what we do," Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a daily briefing. Cuomo, along with other governors, are clamoring for more testing. "The administration I think is trying to ramp up testing, they are doing some things with respect to private labs," said Republican Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland during a CNN interview. "But to try to push this off, to say the governors have plenty of testing and they should just get to work on testing, somehow we aren't doing our jobs, is just absolutely false." Democratic Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia told CNN that claims by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that states have plenty of tests were "just delusional." The region of Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. is still seeing increasing cases even as the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, New York, has started to see declines. Boston and Chicago are also emerging hot spots with recent surges in cases and deaths. Several states, including Ohio, Texas and Florida, have said they aim to reopen parts of their economies, perhaps by May 1 or even sooner, but appeared to be staying cautious. Trump's guidelines to reopen the economy recommend a state record 14 days of declining case numbers before gradually lifting restrictions. Yet the Republican president appeared to encourage protesters who want the measures removed sooner with a series of Twitter posts on Friday calling for them to "LIBERATE" Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia, all run by Democratic governors. Governor Jay Inslee of Washington redoubled his attacks on Trump's call to "liberate" states, saying the president was encouraging people to violate state laws on self-isolating. "These orders actually are the law of these states," he said. "To have an American president encourage people to violate the law, I can't remember any time during my time in America where we have seen such a thing." The United States has by far the world's largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 730,000 infections and over 39,600 deaths. The governors of Michigan and Ohio on Sunday said they could double or triple their testing capacity if the federal government helped them acquire more swaps and reagents, chemicals needed as part of the testing process. Demonstrations to demand an end to stay-at-home measures that have pummelled the U.S. economy have erupted in a few spots in Texas, Wisconsin and the capitols of Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia. More than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past month. Trump had touted a thriving economy as the best case for his re-election in November. On Saturday, several dozen protesters gathered in the Texas capital of Austin chanting "USA! USA!" and "Let us work!" In Brookfield, Wisconsin, hundreds of demonstrators cheered as they lined a main road and waved American flags to protest at the extension of that state's "safer at home" order. The demonstrators mostly flouted the social-distancing rules and did not wear the face masks recommended by public health officials. U.S. lawmakers are very close to an agreement on approving extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Sunday, congressional and Trump administration officials said. An agreement would end a stalemate that has lasted more than a week over Trump's request to add $250 billion to a small-business loan program. Congress established the program last month as part of a $2.3 trillion coronavirus economic relief plan, but it has already run out of money.

As coronavirus cases rise in US hot spots, governors tell Trump it's too soon to reopen America

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the entity known as the West, essentially in the nature of a loose grouping of political, social and philosophical ideas reified coincidentally by a certain people inhabiting a certain part of the world, has reigned supreme. Be it forms of political organisation, scientific discovery, industrial organisation, technological innovation and so, the West has been the pioneer and led the way. What, the question is, explains the West’s success?

A one rather conventional and clichéd explanation is that it is individualism that is the reason for both the West’s ascendance and, well, even superiority. Individualism roughly posits that the individual precedes and is superior to the group which might be social, political, family or even tribal. And, that an individual has moral worth that is intrinsic and an individual’s life must be free from external interferences. On the face of it, this ‘pure’ theory of individualism is powerful (I call the theory pure because, in my opinion, no society even in the West corresponds exactly to it. There are approximations and variations to the ideal type of individualism). It is powerful because it is intuitive and rests on powerful philosophical foundations.

And, speaking in empirical terms, a corpus of evidence can be marshalled to support the theory of individualism. But, the first quibble with the pure theory of individualism is that it, to repeat, is an ideal type. Consider an example. While there is no argument with the assertion that the individual has moral worth and is an autonomous agent or being, but in the real world, even in the West, individuals are subject influences external to them. The mass media, (or ‘social media contemporarily), mass advertising, the pressures to conform, say in or among subcultures or social groupings corroborate and point out to these external influences and pressures. Politically, as has been evident over the past few years, to employ Noam Chomsky’s phrase, consent can be manufactured. All this suggests that there is no such thing as pure individualism.

Moreover, in the region that is held to be the West in geographical terms, there are various and varying permutations and combinations with respect to the individuals’ relation to the basic social unit, the family and the state and market relations. But, this does not mean that individualism in various avatars does not exist in the West. It does. However, attribution of the West’s success and progress cannot and must not be isolated to individualism. It may that institutions and their evolution plus responsiveness to both people and change might be a more powerful variable that accounts for the success of the West. The correlation between individualism and material progress then does not entirely hold.

But this does not mean that an individual is worthless. To the contrary, it is perhaps only in an individual, the lone, eccentric genius, the fundamental spark of creativity can find expression in. The Newtons, the Edisons, the Wordsworth, Keats, &nbsp;Dickens, Dostoyevsky, or contemporarily, Bill Gates, Elon Musks of the world might be classic examples of lone geniuses transforming the world with their inventions, discoveries or literature. These doyens through their transformative works have, in one way or the other, transformed the world and the one feature that stands common to them is that they are Western. How then has been made possible?

Besides institutionalist explanations, what might offer an explanation here is the context in which these eminence grises operate(d) and the acceptance of their ideas, grudging or otherwise. But, perhaps more importantly, especially in the instances of inventors and innovators, the commercialisation of their ideas is an important variable. The reference here is not to free-market capitalism, but an allusion to what some or even many might find shocking: monopoly capitalism. It was the sheer scale of monopoly capitalism that allowed Microsoft, for example, to be Microsoft, for GE to become GE and, to use a colourful phrase electrify the world. But, on the face of it, monopoly capitalism might be incompatible with pure individualism. &nbsp;However, that is what it appears to be.

There, then, is a paradox at the heart of the West’s progress and success where individualism, seems to be more in the nature of a foundational myth for nations in its pure form. This is not to decry individualism or deny it. The point is for other societies to take lessons, the right ones, in their quest for development or progress. The lesson is: while individualism may be one aspect of the West’s success but for progress and development, there’s more that goes into the constituent mix. One such component of success is the quality of institutions and the acceptance of ideas and inventions in the development sphere, howsoever crazy these might sound or even be. The rest is mere corollary.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the entity known as the West, essentially in the nature of a loose grouping of political, social and philosophical ideas reified coincidentally by a certain people inhabiting a certain part of the world, has reigned supreme.

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the entity known as the West, essentially in the nature of a loose grouping of political, social and philosophical ideas reified coincidentally by a certain people inhabiting a certain part of the world, has reigned supreme. Be it forms of political organisation, scientific discovery, industrial organisation, technological innovation and so, the West has been the pioneer and led the way. What, the question is, explains the West’s success? A one rather conventional and clichéd explanation is that it is individualism that is the reason for both the West’s ascendance and, well, even superiority. Individualism roughly posits that the individual precedes and is superior to the group which might be social, political, family or even tribal. And, that an individual has moral worth that is intrinsic and an individual’s life must be free from external interferences. On the face of it, this ‘pure’ theory of individualism is powerful (I call the theory pure because, in my opinion, no society even in the West corresponds exactly to it. There are approximations and variations to the ideal type of individualism). It is powerful because it is intuitive and rests on powerful philosophical foundations. And, speaking in empirical terms, a corpus of evidence can be marshalled to support the theory of individualism. But, the first quibble with the pure theory of individualism is that it, to repeat, is an ideal type. Consider an example. While there is no argument with the assertion that the individual has moral worth and is an autonomous agent or being, but in the real world, even in the West, individuals are subject influences external to them. The mass media, (or ‘social media contemporarily), mass advertising, the pressures to conform, say in or among subcultures or social groupings corroborate and point out to these external influences and pressures. Politically, as has been evident over the past few years, to employ Noam Chomsky’s phrase, consent can be manufactured. All this suggests that there is no such thing as pure individualism. Moreover, in the region that is held to be the West in geographical terms, there are various and varying permutations and combinations with respect to the individuals’ relation to the basic social unit, the family and the state and market relations. But, this does not mean that individualism in various avatars does not exist in the West. It does. However, attribution of the West’s success and progress cannot and must not be isolated to individualism. It may that institutions and their evolution plus responsiveness to both people and change might be a more powerful variable that accounts for the success of the West. The correlation between individualism and material progress then does not entirely hold. But this does not mean that an individual is worthless. To the contrary, it is perhaps only in an individual, the lone, eccentric genius, the fundamental spark of creativity can find expression in. The Newtons, the Edisons, the Wordsworth, Keats, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, or contemporarily, Bill Gates, Elon Musks of the world might be classic examples of lone geniuses transforming the world with their inventions, discoveries or literature. These doyens through their transformative works have, in one way or the other, transformed the world and the one feature that stands common to them is that they are Western. How then has been made possible? Besides institutionalist explanations, what might offer an explanation here is the context in which these eminence grises operate(d) and the acceptance of their ideas, grudging or otherwise. But, perhaps more importantly, especially in the instances of inventors and innovators, the commercialisation of their ideas is an important variable. The reference here is not to free-market capitalism, but an allusion to what some or even many might find shocking: monopoly capitalism. It was the sheer scale of monopoly capitalism that allowed Microsoft, for example, to be Microsoft, for GE to become GE and, to use a colourful phrase electrify the world. But, on the face of it, monopoly capitalism might be incompatible with pure individualism. However, that is what it appears to be. There, then, is a paradox at the heart of the West’s progress and success where individualism, seems to be more in the nature of a foundational myth for nations in its pure form. This is not to decry individualism or deny it. The point is for other societies to take lessons, the right ones, in their quest for development or progress. The lesson is: while individualism may be one aspect of the West’s success but for progress and development, there’s more that goes into the constituent mix. One such component of success is the quality of institutions and the acceptance of ideas and inventions in the development sphere, howsoever crazy these might sound or even be. The rest is mere corollary. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Is individualism the secret of the West’s success?

While millions are forced to quarantine at home, farmers in Bolivia and Colombia must work to supply the food needs of large cities yet precaution measures, such as wearing masks and avoiding human contact, are not regularly applied in the field, leaving farmers at risk.

Latin American farmers risk illness to feed their nations amid coronavirus outbreak

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Covid-19 outbreak is accelerating. The actual tally of the cases is different, becasue many cases are not being registered.

WHO says, Covid-19 outbreak is accelerating | Actual figure is different

March 15 in history: Incorporation of Rolls-Royce Limited, Nationalisation of Iran's oil industry and more!

What began as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo terming coronavirus as the "Wuhan virus" has now snowballed into a bone of contention between the United States and China. The two countries have been sparring over the origin of the deadly pandemic -- both trying to deflect the blame for the contagion.

Also, with the number of cases falling in China and soaring abroad, Beijing has also been trying to reframe itself as a country that took decisive steps to curb the outbreak -- one of the ways being buying the world time by placing huge swathes of its population under quarantine.

On Thursday, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, fuelled the spat by saying it might be "the US Army that brought" the virus to Wuhan. His tweet was, however, not substantiated by any evidence. He also posted a link to an article from a website known for publishing conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks.

Zhao Lijian accused the US of lacking transparency: "When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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1/2 CDC Director Robert Redfield admitted some Americans who seemingly died from influenza were tested positive for novel <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> in the posthumous diagnosis, during the House Oversight Committee Wednesday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://t.co/vYNZRFPWo3">pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3</a>
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) <a href="https://twitter.com/zlj517/status/1238110160884625409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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2/2 CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation! <a href="https://t.co/vYNZRFPWo3">pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3</a>
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) <a href="https://twitter.com/zlj517/status/1238111898828066823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Not only this, even Chinese social media users discussed similar claims about the US being behind the virus. A video -- featuring a US health official saying some flu victims were posthumously diagnosed as having had COVID-19 -- has gone viral on China's Twitter-like Weibo.

Zhao, believed to be tweeting in his official capacity, also posted the clip on Twitter.

Chinese authorities themselves had earlier seen Wuhan and the rest of Hubei province as a threat. But Zhong Nanshan, a respected expert affiliated with the National Health Commission, in February told reporters "the epidemic first appeared in China, but didn't necessarily originate in China."

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This article is very much important to each and every one of us. Please read and retweet it. COVID-19: Further Evidence that the Virus Originated in the US. <a href="https://t.co/LPanIo40MR">https://t.co/LPanIo40MR</a>
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) <a href="https://twitter.com/zlj517/status/1238269193427906560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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THE SPAT

China's foreign ministry had earlier rejected Pompeo's assertion of 'Wuhan virus' and rejected the term as "despicable" and "disrespecting science".

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Although the epidemic first broke out in China, it did not necessarily mean that the virus is originated from China, let alone "made in China". <a href="https://t.co/EVXLkQnyfF">pic.twitter.com/EVXLkQnyfF</a>
— Chinese Ambassador to South Africa (@AmbLINSongtian) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbLINSongtian/status/1236322524281044993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Despite this, US President Donald Trump spoke about the outbreak "that started in China" in a televised address to his nation.

Robert O'Brien, US national security advisor, had also insisted that the virus originated in Wuhan.

This was met with disagreement from world over -- with Australian National University researcher Yun Jiang calling Trump administration's emphasis on the virus' origin in China "part of his dog-whistling politics".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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It seems that some US officials enjoy smearing China around the clock &amp; around the world. What they say about Xinjiang is the LIE of the CENTURY. LYING and CHEATING won't make you nobler and greater. Why not come to Xinjiang and see with your own eyes? <a href="https://t.co/O3G1vNp2ju">https://t.co/O3G1vNp2ju</a>
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonCHN/status/1237953397644390400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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CDC director openly admitting that some <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/covid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#covid</a> deaths have been misdiagnosed as influenza in the US. The question is when are those deaths. This supports the claims made by Japanese scientists that the virus originated from the US but was covered up.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Corona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Corona</a> <a href="https://t.co/AwdXAKz6Ao">pic.twitter.com/AwdXAKz6Ao</a>
— Taro (@taro_taylor) <a href="https://twitter.com/taro_taylor/status/1237985967195095041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Zhao said the journalists using the term "China virus" were "suggesting its origin without any supporting facts or evidence" and had "ulterior motives."

The World Health Organisation has, however, said that while the exact path the virus took between its animal source and humans is still unclear, COVID-19 was "unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019".

(with inputs from AFP)

What began as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo terming coronavirus as the "Wuhan virus" has now snowballed into a bone of contention between the United States and China.

What began as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo terming coronavirus as the "Wuhan virus" has now snowballed into a bone of contention between the United States and China. The two countries have been sparring over the origin of the deadly pandemic -- both trying to deflect the blame for the contagion. Also, with the number of cases falling in China and soaring abroad, Beijing has also been trying to reframe itself as a country that took decisive steps to curb the outbreak -- one of the ways being buying the world time by placing huge swathes of its population under quarantine. On Thursday, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, fuelled the spat by saying it might be "the US Army that brought" the virus to Wuhan. His tweet was, however, not substantiated by any evidence. He also posted a link to an article from a website known for publishing conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks. Zhao Lijian accused the US of lacking transparency: "When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!" 1/2 CDC Director Robert Redfield admitted some Americans who seemingly died from influenza were tested positive for novel #coronavirus in the posthumous diagnosis, during the House Oversight Committee Wednesday. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3 — Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 12, 2020 × 2/2 CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation! pic.twitter.com/vYNZRFPWo3 — Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 12, 2020 × Not only this, even Chinese social media users discussed similar claims about the US being behind the virus. A video -- featuring a US health official saying some flu victims were posthumously diagnosed as having had COVID-19 -- has gone viral on China's Twitter-like Weibo. Zhao, believed to be tweeting in his official capacity, also posted the clip on Twitter. Chinese authorities themselves had earlier seen Wuhan and the rest of Hubei province as a threat. But Zhong Nanshan, a respected expert affiliated with the National Health Commission, in February told reporters "the epidemic first appeared in China, but didn't necessarily originate in China." This article is very much important to each and every one of us. Please read and retweet it. COVID-19: Further Evidence that the Virus Originated in the US. https://t.co/LPanIo40MR — Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 13, 2020 × THE SPAT China's foreign ministry had earlier rejected Pompeo's assertion of 'Wuhan virus' and rejected the term as "despicable" and "disrespecting science". Although the epidemic first broke out in China, it did not necessarily mean that the virus is originated from China, let alone "made in China". pic.twitter.com/EVXLkQnyfF — Chinese Ambassador to South Africa (@AmbLINSongtian) March 7, 2020 × Despite this, US President Donald Trump spoke about the outbreak "that started in China" in a televised address to his nation. Robert O'Brien, US national security advisor, had also insisted that the virus originated in Wuhan. This was met with disagreement from world over -- with Australian National University researcher Yun Jiang calling Trump administration's emphasis on the virus' origin in China "part of his dog-whistling politics". It seems that some US officials enjoy smearing China around the clock & around the world. What they say about Xinjiang is the LIE of the CENTURY. LYING and CHEATING won't make you nobler and greater. Why not come to Xinjiang and see with your own eyes? https://t.co/O3G1vNp2ju — Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) March 12, 2020 × CDC director openly admitting that some #covid deaths have been misdiagnosed as influenza in the US. The question is when are those deaths. This supports the claims made by Japanese scientists that the virus originated from the US but was covered up.#COVID19 #Corona pic.twitter.com/AwdXAKz6Ao — Taro (@taro_taylor) March 12, 2020 × Zhao said the journalists using the term "China virus" were "suggesting its origin without any supporting facts or evidence" and had "ulterior motives." The World Health Organisation has, however, said that while the exact path the virus took between its animal source and humans is still unclear, COVID-19 was "unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019". (with inputs from AFP)

China fuels debate on coronavirus origin, links US Army to outbreak

This is how American Universities are tackling coronavirus

The US-Taliban peace deal is on a fragile footing. Violence, differences between the parties and the divisions between politicians could make the deal worthless.

Earlier this week, when the reports of the violence in Helmand trickled in, a spokesperson for the US &nbsp;forces in Afghanistan blamed the Taliban for breaking the promise to maintain peace in Afghanistan.

The Taliban ramped up violence against the Afghan Security forces, despite US President Donald Trump's calls for peace.&nbsp;

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stakes claim to the Presidency, but his challenger Abdullah Abdullah has rejected the election results.

On the other side, the Taliban doesn't even recognise the legitimacy of the Afghan government. These differences make peace negotiations more tricky.&nbsp;

As the events are playing out on the ground, it looks like the US still has a long way to go&nbsp;before it can exit the Afghanistan quagmire. There are many hurdles in this path to peace. 
 
The agreement did not include the Afghanistan government led&nbsp;by Ashraf Ghani. At the same time, the United States gave the Taliban an upper hand by conducting a one-way negotiation.

The ambiguity in the agreement does not help, if the parties involved want to ensure peace in Afghanistan - a lot of it depends on the difficult negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

The US-Taliban agreement seems to be clear on one thing - troop withdrawal, a promise that was central to Donald Trump's election campaign.

The US has agreed to reduce its troops from around 12 thousand to 8,600 in 135 days. If the Taliban follows through on its promises - all troops of America and its allies will leave Afghanistan within fourteen months.

Amid the chaos, the question now is whether Donald Trump will prioritise the withdrawal of American troops before everything else.&nbsp; 
 
An exit without a deal could lead to an escalation in fighting - some experts even claim that it will lead to a new civil war.

The Taliban reportedly controls well over 50 per cent of Afghanistan and they could potentially seize control of Afghanistan if America just walks away.

Any potential peace deal would include a comprehensive ceasefire without it, the fighting will spiral out of control. The Trump administration should resist the urge for an urgent withdrawal.

Otherwise, its historic peace deal with the Taliban will fail to end the war in Afghanistan. 
 
(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

The US-Taliban peace deal is on a fragile footing. Violence, differences between the parties and the divisions between politicians could make the deal worthless.

The US-Taliban peace deal is on a fragile footing. Violence, differences between the parties and the divisions between politicians could make the deal worthless. Earlier this week, when the reports of the violence in Helmand trickled in, a spokesperson for the US forces in Afghanistan blamed the Taliban for breaking the promise to maintain peace in Afghanistan. The Taliban ramped up violence against the Afghan Security forces, despite US President Donald Trump's calls for peace. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stakes claim to the Presidency, but his challenger Abdullah Abdullah has rejected the election results. On the other side, the Taliban doesn't even recognise the legitimacy of the Afghan government. These differences make peace negotiations more tricky. As the events are playing out on the ground, it looks like the US still has a long way to go before it can exit the Afghanistan quagmire. There are many hurdles in this path to peace. The agreement did not include the Afghanistan government led by Ashraf Ghani. At the same time, the United States gave the Taliban an upper hand by conducting a one-way negotiation. The ambiguity in the agreement does not help, if the parties involved want to ensure peace in Afghanistan - a lot of it depends on the difficult negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The US-Taliban agreement seems to be clear on one thing - troop withdrawal, a promise that was central to Donald Trump's election campaign. The US has agreed to reduce its troops from around 12 thousand to 8,600 in 135 days. If the Taliban follows through on its promises - all troops of America and its allies will leave Afghanistan within fourteen months. Amid the chaos, the question now is whether Donald Trump will prioritise the withdrawal of American troops before everything else. An exit without a deal could lead to an escalation in fighting - some experts even claim that it will lead to a new civil war. The Taliban reportedly controls well over 50 per cent of Afghanistan and they could potentially seize control of Afghanistan if America just walks away. Any potential peace deal would include a comprehensive ceasefire without it, the fighting will spiral out of control. The Trump administration should resist the urge for an urgent withdrawal. Otherwise, its historic peace deal with the Taliban will fail to end the war in Afghanistan. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: Is the US-Taliban peace deal on fragile footing?

The Pentagon has downplayed the latest Taliban attacks in Afghanistan even after the United States carried out airstrikes against the group, making it the first US attack against Taliban after Washington signed a peace deal with the group just last week.

US downplays new Taliban attack, Pentagon rejects doubts over peace deal

Amid coronavirus outbreak, US stocks and bond yields tumbled on Tuesday, after the Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by 0.5 percentage point, to a target range of 1.00% to 1.25%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note briefly dropped below 1%, a record low.

US Fed rates cut by 0.5% to a target range of 1% - 1.25%

The much-hyped deal between the United States and the Taliban seems to be hitting roadblock after roadblock. President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani is against freeing thousands of Taliban prisoners ahead of power-sharing talks next week. Ghani has publicly disagreed with a time table for a speedy prisoner release. watch report:

US-Taliban peace deal hits first roadblock, Afghan Prez won't free Taliban prisoners

A representative from India will attend the signing of the US-Taliban peace agreement for Afghanistan. Before the event in Doha tomorrow, India's Foreign Secretary traveled to Kabul. On WION Edit: We assess India's strategy for the Afghan peace process.

WION Edit: India's strategy for Afghan peace process

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